The good news: the EPA says its rebate application to fund replacement of old diesel school buses with electric ones will be just about one page long. (Because I’ve promised to help some districts apply, I’m really relieved by that.) And EPA has said the “overwhelming” interest they are seeing is in electric buses, rather than other fuels that may be cleaner than diesel but still produce tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions.
The less good news: the application and full program information won’t be available until late April. We’d been thinking now. But then, 5 billion dollars for clean school buses over five years is a lot of program to get standing on its feet with just a few months notice. (Half the funds are for electric, half for alternative fuels that may include electric.)
This newsletter addresses:
- How to work towards equity
- How to prepare now to apply for ESB funding in a few months
- How much electricity you need to charge (fuel) your first ESB’s
- Links to new ESB resources
- Upcoming ESB webinars and conferences
If you’re new to this newsletter, I’m Alison Wiley here in Oregon, with 16 years in low-carbon transportation, the last six focused on electric buses and equity. As a white person, I generally depend on and support BIPOC (Black, indigenous and people of color) leadership concerning equity. I still do critical thinking, because it’s my nature to think critically. But BIPOC understanding of what’s needed for equity is far deeper than mine. The Alliance for Electric School Buses is a good example of such leadership. Its members have been securing ESB funding for years, and doing much more. This newsletter is honored to be a member. Follow the AESB on Twitter.
How to prepare now for EPA funding
As EPA’s new preparation page notes, have an active registration at https://login.gov/; you’ll use it to apply this spring or summer (deadline will be three months from posting of the application). Just one application for however many buses and fuel types you’re seeking. Certain high-need districts will be prioritized (and published by EPA for transparency), but not-prioritized districts are also eligible. EPA is still creating policy around cost-share and caps on ESB and charging infrastructure rebates. A lottery will be held for submitted applications; details TBA.
Download and fill out the Fleet Inventory Tool at the bottom of this page to identify one or more buses you’re seeking to replace (replacement only, no fleet expansion). Sign up to receive EPA’s newsletter.
A district asked me “Can we replace our propane buses with electric?”. So I asked the EPA that. They haven’t decided yet. They have decided they won’t fund repowers this first year. But I’m very hopeful they will in 2023-2026. I’m working with Forth on a pilot repower project here in Oregon. It’s thrifty and sensible to replace existing diesel buses’ drivetrains with electric.
Meet with your electric utility to discuss your ESB plans and electricity needs. I know I’m a broken record here, but that relationship is a complete make or break. Which leads to . . .
How much electricity do you need for your first ESB?
The standard outlets you and I are using right now for our computers, refrigerators, etc. deliver 120 volts (not enough for an ESB). Level 2 charging requires 240 volts; it will fill ESB battery packs overnight. They cost about $10,000, and most bus yards already have adequate voltage available for 1-3 ESB’s, without system upgrades (scaling the fleet is another discussion).
In contrast, Level 3 or DCFC (direct current fast charge) chargers require 480 volts. They charge an ESB in three hours or less, and cost about $50,000. Level 3 is what some large utilities prefer for eventual vehicle to grid (V2G) bidirectional flow, however, V2G is also possible at some L2 speeds. Most ESB’s being sold have bidirectional (V2G) capacity. You don’t pay extra for that, but you pay for extra batteries (more batteries = greater range).
Resources
E-School Bus 4 Kids by World Resource Institute. Rich, comprehensive website with wide range of ESB articles and resources, from health to policy to where ESB’s are located and soon to arrive.
CALSTART (nationwide) is a resource hub and is running peer to peer working groups, for example of Transportation Directors putting their heads together on the challenges of operating ESB’s. Contact Rachel Chard rchard@calstart.org or call 626-744-5600.
Beneficial Electrification League for rural school bus fleets. Just-released short video on advantages of ESB’s from the rural perspective. Almost half the nation’s unified school districts are at least 50% covered by an electric cooperative. I’m already working with three rural districts on applying for EPA funding.
Oregon’s School Bus Electrification Guide Overview designed for school bus fleets starting to electrify.
Glossary of ESB terms Make sense of confusing acronyms.
PIRG V2G report Hot off the press. PIRG is Public Interest Research Group. V2G is vehicle to grid.
Webinars and Conferences
ESB Webinar “Stories From the Field” March 30, 10 a.m. Pacific/1:00 p.m. Eastern, presented by Alliance for Electric School Buses and World Resources Institute. This first webinar in an ongoing series is advocacy oriented.
Roadmap Conference June 29-30, Portland, OR, by Forth. Includes an ESB session featuring Sue Gander of WRI, Malinda Sandhu of Lion, and Susan Mudd of the Environmental Law and Policy Center. Susan, Malinda and I are the co-founders of WASBE (see below) and will be hosting a WASBE networking dinner in Portland the night of June 28.
Women Accelerating School Bus Electrification (WASBE) Forum, Thursday May 19,, 10-11:15 a.m. Pacific. If you’re a woman in ESB’s and not yet one of the 60 plus women receiving our quarterly invitations, reply to this email. May speakers are Liz Sanchez from Zum (imagine dots above the u), a transportation contractor, and Erin Galiger, an engineer from Rocsys, a charging company.
CABSE Institute (California Association of Black School Educators), July 10-13, Napa, CA. Focusing this year on implicit bias.
Green Bus Summit, July 15-20, Reno, NV, by School Transportation News
Green Transportation Summit and Expo, August 16-18, Tacoma, WA
ESB’s are hard, but doable, when bus fleets have good support. That’s my ongoing mantra, with emphasis on the support. In my April newsletter I’ll talk more about technical assistance available to bus fleets.
The following paragraph is new. (Picture me dancing around with joy about this partnership. If you were here, I would get you to dance with me.) A number of ESB-focused nonprofits, especially in the Alliance, are also receiving funding from WRI. So I’m in good company.
Financial support for this newsletter is provided in part by the World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative. While the World Resources Institute may engage as a partner on content, it does not control, nor does it necessarily endorse, the contents of this newsletter
Alison Wiley (she/her/hers)
I am on the ancestral lands of the Multnomah, Chinook and Cowlitz peoples.
Whose land are you on?